1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to utility meter mounting pedestals, and more particularly a pedestal of the type to be partly inserted into the ground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, utility services such as electrical power, telephone service and natural gas supply have been provided for mobile homes through separate lines and conduits leading from meters and junction boxes. The lines and conduits were all supported in the vicinity of the mobile home, but were positioned at separate locations selected by each utility company. In trailer parks, if there was no conveniently located tree or utility pole in proximity to the mobile home, it was necessary for each utility company to drive a post into the ground to support the meter or junction box servicing one or more nearby mobile homes. The plurality of posts necessary for this purpose resulted in a tangled web of electrical wires, telephone wires and gas lines. Furthermore, when a mobile home would be moved from its parking site, each of the utility meters and junction boxes had to be disconnected from the mobile home and, if the meters or junction boxes were mounted upon the mobile home itself, they had to be physically removed therefrom at a considerable cost of labor.
These and other drawbacks were overcome by the utility mounting pedestal disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,538 and my U.S. Pat. No. Re. 31,359. The pedestal in those patents comprises a hollow, rectangular and elongated metal post supported in an upright position in the ground, and extending thereabove. Preferably, the pedestal includes a portion buried in the ground a sufficient depth to normally assure adequate affixment in position. An L-shaped mounting bracket is supported on the top of the post, to which a conventional electric meter and an electrical power outlet box are connected. A telephone junction box is also carried by or connected to the post. The meter, box, and bracket are grounded by connection to the metal post, or connection to a ground wire running through the hollow interior of the post, connected to other grounded means external to the post.
While my prior mounting pedestal has functioned more than adequately for its intended purpose, unexpected and uncontrollable changes in the condition of the ground (for example, by flooding, unusually high ground water levels, removal of the adjacent supportive ground by nearby digging, or the like) or accidental impact by a vehicle may allow or cause my pedestal (indeed, any of the separate prior art posts as well) to be partly or fully removed from the ground. The danger from ruptured gas lines or snapped electrical units resulting from this should be evident, in addition to the mere inconvenience of the disruption of service. Moreover, since the post is preferably constructed from metal, the post itself is potentially subject to corrosion or rust over an extended period of time time of exposure to the elements and ground water. The lowering of ground water pH or increase in soil erosion, through increasingly acid rain, may contribute to these problems.